For now only 5 games out playoff spot.

So I know I am going to get my head ripped off for typing this but, only five games ago we were the second worst team in the league. Now the team is playing they did during preseason the bench is looking deep once again. After last night's win, we are only five games behind both Boston and Brooklyn. We finished poorly with one of the toughest opening schedule in the league but now have a much easier schedule ahead for a bit. Both boston and Brooklyn, who were suppose to be high up Internet standings are struggling at the moment.

I strongly believe that if we continue to play team ball, with no hero ball we can surprise everyone come April.

If they can keep playing the way they have been (i.e. a continuation of last season) they might make things interesting come playoff time (*edit*: and by this I mean the last couple of weeks fo the season).

If they add assets before the trade deadline (picks and prospects) and continue to play/develop the youth, I'll be very happy with this season.

So I know I am going to get my head ripped off for typing this but, only five games ago we were the second worst team in the league. Now the team is playing they did during preseason the bench is looking deep once again. After last night's win, we are only five games behind both Boston and Brooklyn. We finished poorly with one of the toughest opening schedule in the league but now have a much easier schedule ahead for a bit. Both boston and Brooklyn, who were suppose to be high up Internet standings are struggling at the moment.

I strongly believe that if we continue to play team ball, with no hero ball we can surprise everyone come April.

Who's with me?

To put this into context, Toronto is as far from making the playoffs as they are from being the worst team in the league.

Not to totally discount the Raptors current success (which I'm very happy about), you do have to consider the circumstances of each win as well. The win streak includes Cleveland and Detroit who are both very bad teams, Dallas (who is bound for lottery without Dirk) and Houston (who was probably looking ahead to their game in NY).

Without Bargnani and Lowry we are the team we were last year. And last year we were 8th worst. We are still a lottery team unfortunately.

If they can keep playing the way they have been (i.e. a continuation of last season) they might make things interesting come playoff time (*edit*: and by this I mean the last couple of weeks fo the season).

If they add assets before the trade deadline (picks and prospects) and continue to play/develop the youth, I'll be very happy with this season.

And, if I may be so bold as to add to your comment, if they are able to do this they will have met their goals for this season. Having meaningful games in March will be a big leap forward for this group, even if they do not lead to a playoff appearance. But if even 1 of the teams ahead of us are met with the injury bug that slaughtered our roster, the playoffs are not out of the question. This would be a massive success for this squad.

And, if I may be so bold as to add to your comment, if they are able to do this they will have met their goals for this season. Having meaningful games in March will be a big leap forward for this group, even if they do not lead to a playoff appearance. But if even 1 of the teams ahead of us are met with the injury bug that slaughtered our roster, the playoffs are not out of the question. This would be a massive success for this squad.

Seems to me like the injury bug has done anything but slaughter this roster......

Without Bargnani and Lowry we are the team we were last year. And last year we were 8th worst. We are still a lottery team unfortunately.

We have some developed players from last year in Ed Davis and Demar Derozan. The Everywhere Man is better too and don't forget young Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas. The Raptors are better team than last year

I don't know if we will make the playoffs but as long as we are close I think we can consider it a success after our abyssmal start. This is a transition year for us, either we commit to trying to win with the guys we have or we blow it up. Some retooling could be done (trade Bargs) but I think that's the decision to make and being close to the playoofs helps with that decision.

"Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival."

The schedule continues to be favorable for the next month and a half or so and then gets tougher again to close out the season. It wouldn't surprise me at all if we closed distance on the last playoff spot and perhaps even got as high as eighth, before falling back to around 9th or 10th in the conference by the end of the season. Of course, it is possible they stay on a roll, continue to win the games against weak teams, and start to knock off some of the better teams as well. But my gut says that they end up on the outside looking in.

And, if I may be so bold as to add to your comment, if they are able to do this they will have met their goals for this season. Having meaningful games in March will be a big leap forward for this group, even if they do not lead to a playoff appearance. But if even 1 of the teams ahead of us are met with the injury bug that slaughtered our roster, the playoffs are not out of the question. This would be a massive success for this squad.

So I know I am going to get my head ripped off for typing this but, only five games ago we were the second worst team in the league. Now the team is playing they did during preseason the bench is looking deep once again. After last night's win, we are only five games behind both Boston and Brooklyn. We finished poorly with one of the toughest opening schedule in the league but now have a much easier schedule ahead for a bit. Both boston and Brooklyn, who were suppose to be high up Internet standings are struggling at the moment.

I strongly believe that if we continue to play team ball, with no hero ball we can surprise everyone come April.

Really? What if Anderson didn't get hurt? What if Fields didn't get hurt? Lowry missing games at the beginning of the season certainly didn't help. I look at all of that and wonder what our record could have been coming into this stretch of games.

"who the hell is this, paging me at 5:46, its my homie Jack from the tsn crew, why you callin jack?, he tellin me we's blowin up like nitro, heard we beat the mavs, clipped the cavs, kicked the pistons ass, heard we made harden sad, now the nba is mad and the magic are practicing hard for a Friday, so dat it won't be a raptor win day"

True http://espn.go.com/nba/standings considering we played 2 more games than both teams mentioned. We have 8 wins and they both have 13 wins. So technically we are six. providing both teams win the two games they have fewer than us. 1+

Really? What if Anderson didn't get hurt? What if Fields didn't get hurt? Lowry missing games at the beginning of the season certainly didn't help. I look at all of that and wonder what our record could have been coming into this stretch of games.

1+ along with all those bad calls against us. What could have been right?

"who the hell is this, paging me at 5:46, its my homie Jack from the tsn crew, why you callin jack?, he tellin me we's blowin up like nitro, heard we beat the mavs, clipped the cavs, kicked the pistons ass, heard we made harden sad, now the nba is mad and the magic are practicing hard for a Friday, so dat it won't be a raptor win day"

Funny one. So I have seen ESPN's headlines for the last 4 games we won and no where on the main NBA page on their site do they mention anything about the Raps winning. You have to go to the score section to see that we won. However, they have teams like the Bobcats losing on there.

1+ along with all those bad calls against us. What could have been right?

Yeah I hate playing the what if game, because at the end of the day there's no debating the record. But if we are developing and evaluating talent on this roster, these become relevant. If we are trying to win a championship, these become irrelevant. Right now, we are not trying to win a championship.